Tuesday, May 9, 2017

#Luke 6:38 ~ #Give, and it will be given to you: good
measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over will be put into your
bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back
to you.

Giving is more than #monetary. Giving also includes, #time, #patience, #understanding, #sympathy, #empathy, a word of #encouragement or a
kind smile.

No matter how hard I strive to do what's right, (stop in
the middle of what I'm doing when my parents or other family member's call to
help them with their crisis), turn the other cheek when I'm are being
mistreated, help and give to others who are in need, at some point I'm left
asking when? When will I receive my break? When will I finally get
ahead instead of always feeling like I'm behind? Have you ever felt the
same?

As much as it stings, I had to regroup, sake off my pity party and
remind myself that in order for me to grow spiritually and as a writer that I
must remove my personal emotions from the matter at hand and ask, 'Lord, if thy
will be thine.'

A soft voice reminded me; No matter how tired I get - the
Lord always gives give me rest. When I'm hungry - He gives me bread of
life. When I'm in a storm - He gives me shelter.

It wasn't until recently I understood why my dad (now 72)
has continued to freely give to family members and others time and time again
over the the last 40 years without a grumble or expectation of anything in
return.

There have been times my dad has given the very last dollar
in his wallet, loaned out his gas can's filled with gasoline purchased for his
lawnmowers and in the dead of the night he has left the comfort of his warm
home to pull someone's car out of a ditch with his small farm tracker. My
parents may have went without for a little while but the Lord has blessed them
ten-fold financially and spiritually.

For a very long time, I believed it was due to generation
gap my dad repeatedly gave unconditionally; especially to the those that were
ungrateful and selfish. That may still be true, but I no longer ponder on
such or ask why folks continue to do the crazy things that they do.

Instead I look to the cross and place my burdens at Jesus
feet. An old Gospel hymn my late grandmother used to hum while cooking or
doing chores comes to mind whenever I get frustrated. The chorus goes
like this: